Today Show Shocker: The ‘Wake-Up Call’ That Led to Hoda Kotb’s Exit
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Hoda Kotb is moving on to the next chapter of her life. On the September 26 episode of Today, Kotb announced that she’ll be leaving the morning show in the coming months and gave some insight into what’s next for her. News of her exit came as a shock to fans, but luckily she isn’t leaving the show just yet.
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When Will Hoda Kotb Leave the Today Show?
Kotb announced her big news while trying to hold back tears, explaining that, after “doing the math” and turning 60, “it was time for me to turn the page… and to try something new.” She noted, “I decided that this is the right time for me to kind of move on.”
She will be around Today for a while, however. Though she didn’t indicate an exact exit date, the co-anchor explained that it would be early in 2025.
Kotb, who is mom to Haley, 7, and Hope, 5, noted, “Obviously I had my kiddos late in life, and I was thinking that they deserve a bigger piece of my time pie that I have. I feel like we only have a finite amount of time. And so, with all that being said, this is the hardest thing in the world.”
She noted that she would “be here through past the first of the year.” Hoda’s replacement hasn’t yet been announced.
Why Is Hoda Kotb Leaving the Today Show?
A source told The U.S. Sun that having time and energy for her kids was the most important reason for Kotb’s decision to leave the morning show. “You want to be there for your kids, and she’s just completely wiped by the time it gets around to after school,” the insider said.
They added, “She loves these girls so much, and then when Hope was sick and hospitalized, everything changed for her with her views on work.” Kotb’s daughter was hospitalized in February 2023 for more than a week after a health emergency.
The insider noted, “I think people don’t realize to be on morning TV, its like being an athlete, your whole life is about that.” Kotb has an intense schedule that requires a lot of energy. “Getting up at three o’clock every morning, and then you go to bed at eight o’clock, which was fine when her kids were three or four years old, but now that her kids have grown up a bit, they don’t want to go to bed at eight o’clock. The kids are up later than Hoda,” the source shared.
“Morning TV is a young person’s game, since it has grueling hours, and it just gets harder as you get older,” they added. “Hoda’s 60th birthday was a wake-up call for her.”
In a letter to the Today staff, Kotb also indicated she would be on the show “through the beginning of 2025.” She shared, “As I write this, my heart is all over the map. I know I’m making the right decision, but it’s a painful one. And you all are the reason why. They say two things can be right at the same time, and I’m feeling that so deeply right now. I love you and it’s time for me to leave the show.”
She continued, “I’ve been weighing this decision for quite a while — Am I truly ready? But, my 60th birthday celebration on the Plaza felt like a shift. Like a massive, joyful YES, you are! I saw it all so clearly: my broadcast career has been beyond meaningful, a new decade of my life lies ahead, and now my daughters and my mom need and deserve a bigger slice of my time pie.”
Kotb added, “I will miss you all desperately, but I’m ready and excited… Because I’ll be working through the beginning of 2025, there’s plenty of time to talk about what’s ahead for all of us. But one thing I know for sure right now is this: Everything’s going to be just fine. The Peacock’s feathers are never ruffled… no matter who comes or goes. Today and its amazing people — all of you — never waver. You always weather change with grace and guts.”
Kotb also plans to remain on as an occasional contributor for NBC following her Today departure, so she’ll still be part of the NBC family. “Happily and gratefully, I plan to remain a part of the NBC family, the longest work relationship I’ve been lucky enough to hold close to my heart. I’ll be around. How could I not?” she wrote.
For more on morning shows, check out who Good Morning America‘s hosts and anchors are dating or married to in real life.
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